Basics - The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget - page 29

MAJOR BORDER CROSSINGS, OVERLAND AND SEA ROUTES
The following is an overview of those land and sea crossings that are both legal and
straightforward ways for tourists to travel between the countries of Southeast Asia.
The information is fleshed out in the accounts of relevant border towns within this
book. Long-distance tourist buses often run between major destinations, making
cross-border travel simpler and quicker, but there are also numerous options by
local transport.
TO BRUNEI
From Malaysia Boats to Brunei depart daily from Lawas and Limbang in northern Sarawak,
and from Pulau Labuan in Sabah, itself connected by boat to Kota Kinabalu. From Miri in
Sarawak, many buses travel daily to Kuala Belait, in Brunei, with some continuing direct to the
capital, Bandar Seri Begawan.
TO CAMBODIA
From Vietnam Four border crossings: at Moc Bai to Bavet (buses run from HCMC to Phnom
Penh); two crossings just north of Chau Doc on the Bassac River (by bus and boat); and from
near Ha Tien over the border (Prek Chang) to Kep (by xe om only).
From Thailand Six border crossings: the key routes are from Aranyaprathet to Poipet (with
connections to Siem Reap and Phnom Penh); the coastal crossing at Hat Lek, near Trat, then to
Cham Yeam; and two more recently opened crossings from northeast Thailand - the Chong
Chom-O'Smach border pass near Kap Choeng in Thailand's Surin province and the little-used
Sa Ngam-Choam crossing.
From Laos One border crossing, at Veun Kham-Dom Kralor, on the route between Stung
Treng and Si Phan Don.
TO HONG KONG AND MACAU
From China By train from Beijing to Hong Kong (via Guangzhou in Canton). Boats from China
dock at China Ferry Terminal in Hong Kong and the Terminal Maritimo in Macau.
TO INDONESIA
From Malaysia and Singapore Several routes by boat from Malaysia and Singapore to ports
in Sumatra including: Penang to Medan; Melaka to Dumai or Pekanbaru; Johor Bahru and
Singapore to Pulau Batam and Pulau Bintan, in Indonesia's Riau archipelago (and on to
Sumatra); and from Port Klang, near Kuala Lumpur, to Dumai. By bus from Kuching (Sarawak) to
Pontianak (Kalimantan). By ferry from Tawau (Sabah) to Pulau Nunukan and Pulau Tarakan in
northeastern Kalimantan.
TO LAOS
From Thailand Five main border crossings (by various combinations of road, rail and river
transport): Chiang Khong to Houayxai; Nong Khai to Vientiane; Nakhon Phanom to Thakhek;
Mukdahan to Savannakhet; and Chong Mek to Pakse.
From Vietnam Six border crossings: the Lao Bao Pass, 240km from Savannakhet (buses from
Hue and Da Nang to Savannakhet); at Cau Treo, 105km from Vinh (buses from Da Nang to
Savannakhet and Vientiane); the Bo Y crossing 80km from Kon Tum (buses to Attapu); Tay Trang
crossing, near Dien Bien Phu, to Muang Khoua (buses from Dien Bien Phu to Muang Khoua);
Nam Can to Nong Het, east of Phonsavan in Laos (buses from Vinh to Phonsavan); and the
more remote, seldom-used Na Meo, east of Sam Neua.
From China By bus from Jinghong in China's southwestern Yunnan province to Oudomxai
and Luang Namtha, via the border crossing at Boten.
From Cambodia One crossing, at Dom-Kralor-Veun Kham.

Cebu Pacific Air Philippines T 2702 2888, W cebupacificair.com.
Flights to 35 domestic locations within the Philippines plus regular
services to all main Asian cities including Brunei, Hong Kong, Kuala
Lumpur, Singapore and Bangkok.

Dragonair Hong Kong T 3193 3888, W dragonair.com. A
subsidiary of Cathay Pacific, Dragonair fly to destinations across the
Asia Pacific region including Hanoi, Kota Kinabalu, Phnom Penh, Manila
and Phuket.